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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Hundreds of ad-hoc staff who sweep the roads for the Calabar Urban Development Authority (CUDA) stormed the streets of Calabar protesting four months of unpaid stipends.
The women, half of whom are aged marched from the Eleven-Eleven Round About down to Murtala Mohammed highway and ended up in front of Governor’s at Leopard Road.
The women, who are paid only between N5,000 and N10,000 per month, say they have been owed for four months and expressed dismay at the way and manner the government have been treating them with disdain.
Most of them said they are widows with children, who depend on the token given to them for survival, still sweep the streets daily yet have nothing to show for it.
Lamenting their plight, the spokesperson, Nkoyo Etim Effiong, 66, said they have not paid street sweepers in the state for four months now.
Madam Effiong said: “We are here to let the governor know that we have not been paid for four months. In 2015, they refused to pay us for six months and now they want to go away our four months’ salaries.
“Some of us were being paid N5,000 monthly while others were paid N10,000 monthly. Those of us who are sweepers are paid differently. There are those who collect N5,000, N8,000 and N10,000 monthly. There are those we call Wreckers and they collect N15,000 a month. We just want them to give us our money before they leave office.”
Also speaking, another elderly woman, Emana Cobham said: “We take so much risk in the course of sweeping the streets by 4.30 am because you must go to your duty post, sweep your portion which is always a long stretch before day breaks.
“I can also tell you that many sweepers have lost their lives to accidents, some have been raped while others have been robbed of their valuables, including phones. We plead with the outgoing government to pay us all our arrears before they leave office by May 29.”
